Customer Reviews

Fate and Consequences

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This a great example of a "what if" piece of fan-fic. The exploration of what P&P might have been had Darcy not arrived in time to stop his sister's elopment and the resulting degradation is well carried out. A chastened Darcy, seeing that the mores of society and the upper class "ton" for what Austen knew them to be when she wrote her work is beautifully done. I read the entire thing straight through during 12 hours of plane trips and couldn't put it down.

But Darcy as the considerate lover, apathetic to the demands of society from the very start, is a bit of a jarring note, although he does allude to how he might have acted before the ruin of his sister. And that's not the only incongruity.

I realize that this is a "what if", but some of the changes seem to be stretching the familiar a bit far. Darcy's father is no longer the beloved master and father he is in Austen's work. Darcy's cousin, Col. Fitzwilliam starts as a much darker character, too. Wickham is certainly more evil than normal. And many of the other characters seem to act in ways that we would wish them to act, as opposed to the way that Austen originally framed them. But that is all in the realm of "what if", and imagining how things might have gone. So, while odd at times, it can be accomedated.

But the hardcore sex scenes, both before Lizzy and Darcy's marriage and after were not welcome. Seriously, I have no desire for explicit descriptions of what they did together; and I do mean explicit. It veered from simple "what if" fan-fic into pornographic fantasy in these spots. I am no prude by any means, but that sort of thing ruins the Auten-esque feeling of any version or sequel to P&P. And the before-marriage scenes of this sort, and the willful ignorance/tolerace of it by others, completely destroyed the image of proper behavior vs. social behavior that was the point of the original.

Still, overall, it was an excellent foray into alternative looks at the characters, changed and idealized as they often were. It's a good read, even if the main connection to P&P are the names and some of the attitudes of characters and places.

I don't understand why this book got such great reviews. I am sorry to say that having recently completed reading it I find myself thinking `thank god that's over!' The book does have an interesting plot and certainly some suspenseful moments, but overall I think some of the characters are truly unlike those that Jane Austen created. Darcy would be the prime example. From almost the very beginning, he is completely dependent on Elizabeth's affection. I think the original Darcy would have put up a better fight in his own mind to prevent himself from falling for her so quickly. Then there are the laws of propriety. Or are there, because neither Darcy nor Elizabeth seem to be aware of them. A good portion of the book is one detailed description after another of some romantic escapade they find themselves on. It was a bit too descriptive for my taste and quite frankly it gets old. After the main plot did conclude I found myself with another 100 pages of the story just dragging on and yes, much of it seemed to be lifted out of cheesy romance novel. I won't say that the book is totally unworthy of reading, but I don't believe it deserves 5 stars, and there are certainly better Pride and Prejudice recreations out there. I wouldn't bother with this one.

The fact that this book has characters named Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are the only things it has in common with the original Pride and Prejudice. Darcy has been reduced to a tearful wreck of a man, and there is not another character in the book who has a passing fancy with the way whey were written in the original.

This book desperately needs an editor.

Hmmmm... Not Bad But somewhat Trashy.. I dont Know what to say Honestly!

The Reviews on this book is what attracted me to this book, I read Chance Encounters and was not very fond of it either, But I figure i'll give Linda Wells another go...ahhh I dont mind sex scenes at all but did anyone read page 490? "oh lizzy,Oh how I love watching you take me" lol woah very disturbing, kinda Freaked me out there! lol

Linda Wells is always killing Wickham, yes we dont like him but god he dies in ever book, and this time Colonel Fitzwillam kills Wickham, Fitzwillam freaks me out, hes autually Scary, Like Crazy.
And Georgiana was pointing out to Elizabeth what her and Darcy do in the bedroom, she acting like Lydia, ahhh.

Ok to the Point Not worth the price.

This "what if" variation of Pride and Prejudice begins Georgiana's elopement to Wickham at Ramsgate, except this time, Darcy is too late to stop it. While Darcy does find them before a wedding or anything more intimate can occur, servants and neighbors from Ramsgate became aware of the situation, leading to Georgiana's ruin in London society. I enjoyed the premise, but the plot did not flow smoothly. I spent the first half of the book seeing the pointed lead in to the climax making it obvious that stuff will be hitting the fan, but instead of the awaited event being the pinnacle of the story, it is about two thirds of the way through, making the last hundred pages or so a somewhat tedious wrap up everything from key characters to what had seemed unimportant subplots. I also disliked how freely the author threw Regency rules of society and propriety completely out the window. The best P&P variations and sequels are in my opinion, those that share a key factor with the original- the rules of the society in which our characters lived is what prevented them from openly expressing their true feelings. These rules are why Austen's work has such compelling dialogue- the characters must find other ways to express themselves. Even the best mature variations have Darcy and Elizabeth more often than not publicly behaving as society demands. I understand that this story tried to explain this away as Darcy's frustration with his sister's treatment by society as well as his resentment of his own treatment by his parents, but it doesn't really click. It comes across as more the attitude of a petulant teenager rather than the stalwart man that Darcy is. This story definitely has some fun moments, but it could have been done in a much more convincing way.

The secret to enjoying Linda Wells' series of Pride and Prejudice variations is a red pen. I keep it by me at all times. Her stories are good, her characters interesting, but when I first began reading this book, I almost put it aside because of irritating details I could not overlook.
First and foremost, Darcy has blue eyes. Not in my copy. I took my red pen to the page and gave him the brown eyes he should have. Second, he cries quite a bit. I understand that he's been lonely and overwhelmed, but, come man! Pull yourself together!
Then there is Lizzy. The inordinate number of references to her very small hands would lead one to believe she is part chipmunk. My Lizzy is a healthy, robust young woman, not a delicate halfling. And her hair is very dark, not merely chesnut.
And if you are offended by very descriptive sex scenes, avoid these books. I find I can overlook them, but they don't ring true to me.
I will continue to read Wells' variations, but I will keep my red pen handy.

Despite the mixed reviews of this novel, I enjoyed it. True, the characters do deviate from canon, but it's fan-fiction. The author is allowed some liberties.

The premise is what if Wickham and Mrs. Younge had succeeded in convincing Georgiana to elope? When Darcy comes to Ramsgate, he finds it deserted. He and Col. Fitzwilliam rush to follow the carriage and meet in Meryton. Darcy spies Elizabeth out of the window and can't help but be fascinated. Later, Elizabeth sees Georgiana crying and in desperate of a handkerchief. She provides the girl with hers. Darcy uses her kindness as a way to introduce himself. Later, Georgiana and Elizabeth begin corresponding with each other; Darcy often adds his own lines.

Yes, the premise does not follow with propriety rules of the era, but it is engaging nonetheless. If you forgive the author her liberties, its enjoyable. Many times I laughed out loud by some of the conversation.

However, I did find the story a bit too long. After a while, I was wondering if Elizabeth and Darcy would ever be allowed to marry. 'Chance Encounters', also by Linda Wells, is long too, but is more forgivable because they marry much sooner.

I loved the spectrum of emotions that Fate and Consequences covers. It differs from Pride and Prejudice in that Darcy and Elizabeth do not begin on bad footing. They have a charming first encounter which is completely different from the author's first work, Chance Encounters. There is a unique spin on the secondary characters which make them far more interesting and involved in the storyline. The Lucas family in particular are more noted and John Lucas fancies he can give Darcy some competition in courting Elizabeth. The story draws from its title as two men in particular stand out in demonstrating how their families dealt with scandal and falling from grace. Love, forgiveness, secrecy and shame come to the fore as fate forces the families to deal with the consequences of their choices. This truly is an engaging novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Linda Wells story Fate & Consequences shows us a Darcy and Elizabeth who are deeply in love. No angst between them. All problems are created by others. But D&E are dedicated to each other. Nothing will separerate them. The consequences of growing up in a house without being loved are great. That is the reason for Georgiana's BIG mistake, and Darcy longing for warmth. Elizabeth is as always loyal to those she loves. Together they can handle all and find their own way to happiness.
I just finished the book - I think for the third time. I still like it. I would love to read a sequel to this story.

this book is laugh out loud terrible. the characters in no way resemble austen's, they seem to do nothing except cry and bonk. i always finish a book, no matter how bad, but towards the end i was just counting the different words she found for "erection"